Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura stressed Saturday Japan's ability and qualifications to serve as a permanent member of an expanded U.N. Security Council in a speech to the U.N. General Assembly.
Speaking at a general debate session, Machimura also urged North Korea to agree to dismantle all of its nuclear weapons and programs in the current six-party talks in Beijing.
He emphasized the need for the U.N. to become more "effective and efficient" and said reforming the Security Council "remains key to achieving the overall renewal" of the 60-year-old world body.
"At no other time in its history has an effective, efficient and credible United Nations been more needed than today," he said. "The credibility of the U.N. is at stake."